I love the phrase "Pro-Life from the womb to the tomb," as it's not enough, or it does not live up to the Words of Jesus to only be Pro-Life in a one-dimensional way. Jesus tells us the greatest two commands are to love God and love each other. He says people will know we are his disciples by how we love, not what we stand against. Our love should be multi-dimensional, that is, loving all sorts of people in various ways. I try to live out this multi-dimensional love in many ways, some small, like holding open a door, some bigger, like volunteering time to mentor young aged out of foster care young adults. This pursuit has shaped my whole adult life. I served as a pastor for over ten years and am now in school to become a Mental Health counselor. My faith has shaped both my past and present pursuits. In the past, it has been shaped in obvious ways. I was a pastor whose main aim (my aim still remains the same although I no longer choose to be a pastor) was to love others. Love others in a multi-dimensional way. This pursuit of loving others is now shaping my future. I want to become a mental health counselor. We live in a nation where our mental health as a whole is lacking, and so many people need help. I see the need in myself as well as in other people and believe helping people with their mental health is a surefire way to love them. Hurting people often need someone to hear them out. Have you ever worked with someone, a customer, or a co-worker who spilled their heart out to you and had no idea what to say? The good news is you did more than half of the work by listening to them. The work of a mental health counselor involves doing the other part of loving people when they need to spill their heart out. I want to love people that way, loving them where it hurts and where they need it. I want to be Pro-LIfe from the womb to the tomb. I want to love people in simple and lavish ways. This included protecting those who are unborn, those who are fleeing persecution, or those who have just had a bad day. My whole adult life has been radically shaped by the love of Jesus and wanting to love him by loving others. All sorts of others.

Mental health is healthcare. Without a sound mind, our bodies suffer. I know firsthand during my first bout with depression, sleeplessness was one of the main physical symptoms. This lead to weight gain and irritability. The weight gain overall decreased my health while the irritably made me hard to be around. I was sick, and I needed help. Thankful I found help; it's experiencing that health and a desire to help that motivate me to go into mental healthcare. I first started going to therapy in September 2015. I had hit a low point and had little will to continue. I am thankful I got treatment when I did. Otherwise, I do not think I would be here now. The therapy did not have an instant effect but a steady one. Week by week, I went, and I got better a little bit at a time. I did get better, and I am thankful for that, but I don't think I would if not for the treatment. I think of a parable to explain my first motivation. Three men are giving large sums of money. Their master, who gave them the money, then leaves on a trip. When he returns, he calls the men to himself and asks them, "Did you gain a return on the money I lent you?" The first man steps forward and says, "Yes, I have added a half" The master responds, "Good work. Keep the gain for yourself." The next man says he doubled it the master tells the same thing to him. Finally, the third man says, "I took your money and hid it; I gained no money." The master responded, "You fool, you were given much, yet you did nothing with it." I have been given the gift of good treatment that helped me immensely. I feel obligated to offer the same type of treatment to others and do something with my gift. My following motivation is simple; I want to help people. We live in a very complex world. Full of good and full of evil, and each person gets some share of both. For some of us, we have it good and never need to see a therapist, but for others, we need help. In being someone who has a story of recovery, sharing it has been the most powerful story I can tell. I have been able to help others just by using my story. I want to go beyond that and help others more and more! Not because I feel like I have to but because I get to. I get to help others. I both feel obligated to provide care for others, and I feel honored to get to. It is both a conviction and a gift. It's the combination of the two, together that motivates me to go into mental health care.

He loved others well. Why? Because what is a life not full of love.

Love for others should be deep and wide, simple and outstanding.

The day of my wedding was a hectic day. My wife was finishing school in a different state leading up to our wedding so almost all the wedding planning rested on my shoulders. However, all the stress evaporated as soon as I saw my soon-to-be wife walk down the aisle. My eyes lit up, a smile stretched across my face, and tears of joy ran down my face. Is this memory the happiest of my life? Yes, not only was the moment itself full of joy but the happiness and joy it ushered in puts a smile on my face.